Small Spaces by Christine Brun

Consider the problem: The room most visited by your guests also happens to be the most challenging space in your home.

Very often the powder room is either completely bland or has to be shared with a little toddler in the middle of potty training. Worse still is if your teenage son has to share the powder room with visitors. You can only be sure if it will be presentable following a thorough inspection.

Sometimes in an older house, there was no original space for what we now call a powder room, or half-bathroom. Over the years, it might have been squeezed into the ground-floor plan.

Let's escape for a short while to the dreamy world of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase for a peek into what interior designer Stephanie Marsh Fillbrandt accomplished in one odd-shaped room. As a part of a circa 1910 Georgian mansion designed and built by San Francisco architect Nathaniel Blaisdell for George L. Payne, the little room is 9 feet 6 inches long but only 38 inches wide. Narrowness becomes even more pronounced because of the nearly 12-foot-tall ceiling.

Judging by the photo, Fillbrandt knew that by introducing a focal point at the end of the constricted room, the visitor's eye would focus on that element, making the wall appear to be nearer.

A local craftsman used hand-blown glass to create a stunning portrait window, which marry classic stained-glass fabrication techniques with a modern design. Graceful curves in the window's motif mimic the curvilinear form in the floor mosaic. Afternoon sunlight refracts through the window bevels, casting delicate rainbows across the room's pale-blue, Venetian-plaster walls.

The mosaic work was accomplished using a combination of modern and ancient techniques. Each piece was hand cut and set by local mosaicists. White Thassos marble and reclaimed French and Yucatan Ticul limestone join in soft swirls that snake up the wall with delightful whimsy. Again, the skilled designer realized how effective this design element would be in foreshortening the long, skinny space.

"This room embodies the Marsh & Clark philosophy of uniting traditional craftsmanship and innovative design to make good on the promise of elegant, timeless, sustainable spaces," said Fillbrandt, principal of Marsh & Clark.

Made of sustainable-harvested Guatemalan machiche hardwood, the cantilevered vanity floats elegantly above the intricate floor.

Designers enjoy creating showcase projects because they offer rare opportunities to do precisely what they want without compromise. One of the most difficult things to do is to put your trust in your designer. However, the results generally are better if you set aside your fears and allow that professional to run with his or her creativity.

The two key features in this narrow room make the space. If this were your home, they would probably represent a significant investment. Sometimes, however, it is worth the cost to follow your designer onto the path less traveled.

I've been in powder rooms in new townhouses that are barely big enough to get your body inside and close the door! One advantage of such mini-rooms is they seldom take a huge quantity of material. Therefore, you can often afford very high-quality finishes.

When the powder room is only 3 feet wide, you can buy a remnant piece of granite or marble for the lavatory top. Some really terrific wall-hung sinks might be more costly than those typically found at home improvement stores, but they make a big difference.

Ironically, the smaller the room, the more important it is to include the best potential pieces. Think of it as a significant communication you must make with the fewest words. You must select each word carefully to make it count.

Christine Brun, ASID, is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by e-mail at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net. To find out more about Christine Brun and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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